Frequently Asked Questions 2015

A client has a field of corn that is v5 and wants tissue nitrogen sample. do we send in whole plants or just a portion of plant. I assume you will need 6 to 8 plants in each sample

Answer

If the corn plant is over 12 inches tall, you will take the first fully developed leaves from the top of the plant. You will want to sample 15-20 different plants and combine all those into one sample. If by chance the plant is less than 12 inches, you will take the whole above ground portion of as many plants.

Lawn Soil Test

I am looking to have my lawn tested and was hoping you could recommend what services homeowners typically request. I like that you give recommendations where my other option did not. Please advise.

Answer
I would recommend the lawn and garden soil test analysis $25.00. Simply collect several samples from areas of your lawn you want tested. Combine these samples into one using a bucket and send in 2 cups of soil for analysis.
You can use a ziplock bag to send the sample in. Please note any issues you are trying to address or questions
you might have about your lawn.
Attached is a copy of our lawn and garden brochure. Turnaround time for analysis and reporting is 3 days once we receive the sample.
Let me know if you have any other questions.

Aluminum Testing

I need to test my pond water and sludge for aluminum. I assume you can tell what type of aluminum if any and how many PPM. What would be the cost? I am also a Fertilizer Dealer.

Answer
Thank you for contacting us regarding your analytical needs. We can analyze for total aluminum in both sample types. However, we are not able to speciate (know what type of aluminum is present). The fee is $20 prep plus $16 for the analysis of aluminum per sample (total of $36/sample). We would use EPA methods for the analysis with a turnaround time of 3-5 working days.

Feed Testing

I would like to send some feed samples to you for analysis on the F2 package, including crude protein, ADF and TDN etc. May I know how much sample would be needed for this type of tests 10 g? and how soon I would be able to expect for the results 2 weeks?

Answer
The F2 package will require approximately 100g of product and 3 business days to complete.

Water Testing

Can you check water hardness? Does that include magnesium, calcium, zinc iron? This isn’t for drinking water. Cost? Turn-around time? Thanks!

Answer

To test for everything you are looking for I would recommend our W3A test. The cost is $62 and would take 3-5 business days. This will test for pH, Total Dissolved Solids (by calculation), Manganese, Sodium, Total Hardness, Nitrate Nitrogen, Sulfate, Calcium, Conductivity, Iron, Chloride, Magnesium, Fluoride

Mycotoxin and Aflatoxin Testing

Hi, I think that your company does toxin testing for one of our affiliate companies. I work in a lab for an affiliate and have some old reagents that I would like to have tested for mycotoxin and aflatoxin.The sample is a food grade thickener. Would you be able to do this for me?

Answer

We can certainly assist with testing for mycotoxins. We have a full mycotoxin panel that includes Aflatoxin,Vomitoxin, T-2 Toxin, Zearalenone, Fumonisin & Ochratoxin at a cost of $260.00. We can also run each mycotoxin individually at a cost of $75.00 per sample. Please let me know if we can be of further assistance.

Lagoon WaterDo you run BOD and COD on lagoon water samples?

Answer

Yes we can.
BOD is $35 and has a 48 hour holding time.
We need 1 liter of sample.
COD is $30 and should be preserved with H2SO4 in a 250 ml plastic. 28 day holding time.

Soil Bags and Boxes
Do you sell soil sample bags and shipping boxes? I was told by someone that sends in a lot of soil samples that you sold them in your eStore but I didn’t see them there

Answer
If you setup an account, soil bags are shipped for free. Soil boxes are not free, but can be ordered. With your Midwest Labs Account, you can submit orders for bags and boxes online. Also, with your account, you pay for your order when you receive an invoice. You do not have to pay right away. Our eStore does not list bags and boxes because it is setup mainly for people who have never heard of Midwest Laboratories.

We need at least 400 grams of sample and we usually need 5-7 working days.

Compost Fertilizer AnalysisI am creating a new compost fertilizer through worm castings and I need a sample analysis completed. I am new to this process, but I need N-P-K analysis with percentages as well as any other nutrients that are in my product.

Answer
We have a package called Compost Plus that will fit your needs based on the information you have provided. Here is a link to our fee schedule which gives you the pricing and the components of the package: Manure, Biosolids, Copost Analysis
When you order the Compost Plus package, you are also provided with some interpretations of your tests which compare your compost to what might be considered an “ideal compost”.

If you think you might be sending in additional samples, I can set up an account for you here at the lab. If this will be a one time submittal, just send in the sample with a check for the $75 testing fee. Please specify your email address on the submittal paperwork and we will send you a copy of the report when complete.

Complete Soil Health TestHow is the $75 Complete Soil Health test different from the S3C complete analysis that includes S1A, S2N, S3? Or, is it in addition to S3C?

AnswerThank you for your inquiry. The complete Soil Health test includes the S3C as part of the needed information for the calculations. I have attached a couple of documents that should help to explain a bit more about the test and hopefully clear up some of your questions. Please look them over and let me know if you have a need for additional information. Resource: Soil Health Explained

Soil TestingHello. I have a small acreage and need to test the soil of our pastures. I plan to submit a sample, but never submitted one before. I was given a small sample bag that has Midwest Labs name and the red fill line on it. The bag was filled to the red line. Is that enough to sample? Midwest Labs website notes that this should be about 2 cups.

Answer
To answer your question, yes, that red line is where the soil should be filled in the bag. That line is the equivalent of about 2 cups. If you have any additional questions about submitting your sample, please call 402-334-7770.

Nitrogen Fertilizer TestI have a mixture of water and nitrogen. I need to get it tested to determine the Nitrogen concentration. What test would I need and what is the turn around time on that test?

Answer
We can run a total nitrogen for $25 and turnaround time would be 3 business days. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Sample Amount Needed for Amino Acid and Fatty Acid ProfileWe are developing a non-GMO microbial protein feed for fish meal replacement and are interested in a suit of nutritional analyses. Can you provide the minimum sample amount for each assay: F2, F9, Amino Acid profile, Fatty Acid profile. Thank you.

Answer
We do offer a glycol package for pet food.
The package includes propylene, ethylene and diethylene glycol at a cost of $120.00 per sample.
We will need approximately 100g of product and 5 business days to complete the testing.Ordering Soil Bags with Account

What is best way to order soil sample bags for new accounts?

Answer
Thank you for your note. You can order bags at your convenience by going to the MidwestLabs.com website. Sign-in with your account number and password and scroll down to the right to the order supplies link. From here you can order soil bags, boxes and probes.Food testing for e.Coli
Hello,Does your company terst for both 0157 and non-0157 e. coli? if not are you able to direct us to a company that can?

Answer
Thank you for your email. We do offer both the testing for E.coli O157:H7 as well as the STEC package. The 0157:H7 will run $20.00 per sample and the STEC package is $60.00. We will need approximately 1/2 pound of product.

Equine treat
I would be interested in having my treat tested to meet the USDA regulations for Guaranteed Analysis and was wondering what the cost would be. Thank you

Answer
Thank you for your email. We offer the F2 proximate package, including moisture, protein, fat, ash and fiber at a cost of $32.00 per sample.
We will need approximately 100g of sample and 3 business days to complete the testing. Please let me know if we can be of further assistance.

Need help in selecting a soil test for a garden soil test
I’m interested in having my residential soil tested. Im a hobby vegetable gardener. Also, we are about to remove our front and back lawns to put in drought-tolerant plants. What soil test would be helpful for me to have?

Answer
I would recommend the Lawn and Garden Analysis = $25.00. This is a complete test and recommendations would be written specific to the type of produce you are trying to grow. I have used this test to help diagnose similar issues and have found the recommendations to be quite helpful.
Simply fill a ziploc bag with 2 cups of soil total, 0 – 6 inches deep in the garden area that you are trying to grow plants.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call our main number and speak to a client services manager. 402-334-7770.
Attached is a lawn and garden test brochure and submittal form for your convenience.